Billfold



P. A. GARDNER, JR BILLFLD Jan.4 30, 193.4

Fi'led May 11, '1932 2 sheets-sheet l Jan. 30, 1934. P. A. GARDNER, JR

BILLFOLD et 2 Filed May ll, 1932 2 Sheets She l'atentecl Jan. 30, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE BILLFOLD Prince A. Gardner, Jr., St. Louis, Mo. Application May 11, 1932. Serial No. 610,602 7 Claims. (Cl. 150-38) This invention relates to billfolds and has special reference to improved means for holding one of the pockets or compartments of the billfold closed without in the least interfering with the folding of the billfold' transversely irrespective of the amount or volume of the contents of the billfold.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved billfold having an elongated wall, and two longitudinally spaced walls cooperating with the elongated wall and with a sliding wall spanning the space between said spaced walls to form an elongated pocket, in combination with devices attached to said elongated' wall and tov said spaced walls, respectively, to open and to close the elongated pocket.

To obtain this object, one of said devices is attached continuously throughout its length to the elongated wall and the other of said devices is attached to said longitudinally spaced walls but is not attached to said sliding wall, thus leaving the sliding wall free to slide longitudinally with respect to said longitudinal wall and to at least one of said spaced walls, thus adapting the billfold to receive and enclose contents of different volume or size vwithout in the least interfering with the freedom of action and operation of the billfold when the billfold is folded or extended.

Other objects will appear from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a plan view of the inner side of the billfold when the billfold is extended.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the billfold on the line 2-2 of Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one end of the billfold showing other features of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a plan View showing the inside of another form of the billfold.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 6 6 of Fig. 8 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 'l is a cross sectional View on the line 7-7 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional View on the line 8-8 of Fig. 5.

The billfold shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, comprises a flexible elongated outer wall forming member 1. A fastening member is attached to the upper marginal portion of th'e wall 1, the

same comprising an elongated strip 2 of flexible material extending along the inside of the upper margin of the wall 1 and covered by a flexible facing strip 3. The wall 1 and the strips 2 and 3 are attached to each other by appropriate fastening means, such as a longitudinal row of stitches 4. Metallic fastening fingers 5 are securely attached to the free edge of the strip 2 and extend therefrom for engagement with and disengagement from a similar series of fastening fingers 6 securely attached to the free edge of a iiexible strip 7 similar to the strip 2. The fastening fingers 5 are designed and adapted to be extended and engaged between the vfastening fingers 6 and disengaged therefrom optionally 70 by a slide 8 engaging both series of fastening ngers.

This slide 8 is shown in Fig. 1 in the position it occupies at the end of the billfold when all of the fastening fingers are engaged to close the elongated pocket. By moving the slide 8 longitudinally along the fastening fingers 5 and 6 to the opposite end of the billfold, these fastening fingers are disengaged in a familiar manner so as to open the elongated pocket. These fastening devices are well known and the operation of the slide 8 to connect and detach the two series of fasteners is also well known.

A wall forming member 9 has its outer end connected to one end of the wall 1 by a flexible 85 strip 10 having one edge attached to the wall 1 by stitches 11 and the opposite edge in connec, tion with the wall 9 either as an integral portion thereof or attached thereto by appropriate means as may be desired.

A frame or wall 12 is in connection with the upper edge of the wall 9 and is folded downwardly and outwardly. AThe outer ends of the walls 9 and 12 are attached together by stitches 13, or other appropriate fastening means, and the lower edges of the Walls 9 and 12 are attached together and to the lower longitudinal edge of the wall 1 by stitches 14, or other appropriate fastening means.

The walls 9 and 12 extend inwardly from the 100 outer end of the Wall l less than one-half of the length of said wall 1 and form between them an inwardly open pocket. The wall 9 cooperates with the wall 1 to form a portion of an elongated pocket or compartment.

In the specific construction shown, the part 12. is an open frame, the opening therein being closed by a panel 15 of exible transparent material.

At the opposite end of the billfold a wall member 16 is provided. -A wall 17 in connection with 110 the upper edge of the wall 16 is folded down wardly and outwardly so as to form between them an inwardly open pocket spaced from the pocket formed between the walls 9 and 12. These walls 16 and 17 are of less than one-half the length of the wall 1 and terminate a considerable disa tance beyond the inner ends of the walls 9 and 12. As shown, a wall 18 has its upper edge ex= tending over the fold of the walls 16 and 17 and attached thereto. The outer ends and lower lon gitudinal edges of the walls 16, 17 and 18 are even with the outer end and lower longitudinal edge of the wall 1 and are attached thereto and to each other by a row of stitches 19.

A sliding wall member 20 has one end attached to the inner end of the wall 9 by stitches 2l and the other end extending into the pocket formed between the walls 16 and 17 and unattached thereto. member 22, preferably of some textile terial, has one end attached to the end of the wall 26 that is within the pocket formed by the walls 16 and 17v and has its outer end engaged by the stitches 19 and thereby held in connection with the billfold structure. This member 22 prevents the wall 20 from being withdrawn from the pocket into which it extends. The upper edge of the wall 20 is nearly even with the upper edges of the walls 9 and 16, so that said wall 26 extends along the inner side of the pocket formed by the walls 16 and 17. This wall member 26 bridges the space between the walls 9 and 16 and cooperates therewith and with the wall 1 to form an elongated pocket.

The wall 9 is attached throughout its length to one edge of the strip 7 by rows of stitches 23 and the wall 16 is attached throughout its length to said strip 7 by similar rows of stitches 2d.

y This leaves that portion of the strip 7 which extends across the space between the walls 9 and 16 unattached because, while said strip 7 extends downwardly beyond the upper marginal portion of the wall 20, said strip 7 is unattached to said wall 20. This leaves the wall 20 free to slide into and along the pocket between the walls 16 and 17 and to adjust and accommodate itself as may be required by the contents of the elongated pocket when the billfold is folded transversely between the walls 9 and 16. Thus, an important object of the invention is obtained to permit free sliding movement of the wall 20 and free folding of the billfold irrespective of the amount of the contents without distorting or straining any of the parts, leaving the strip 7 free to adjust itself in conformity with the transverse folding of the wall 1 and the strip 2. This construction and arrangement overcomes an otherwise seriousrr objection and difliculty.

The constructionand arrangement shown. in Figs. 5 to 8, inclusive, is a billfold comprising an outer elongated flexible wall 25, an inner elongated flexible wall 26, two spaced walls 27 having in connection with their upper edges downwardly and outwardly folded walls 28; walls 29 of less length than the walls 28 and cooperating therewith to form inwardly opening pockets; and a sliding wall 3,0 extending into the pockets formed by the respective walls 27 and 28 and spanning the space between said walls and cooperating therewith and with the elongated wall 26 to form an elongated pocket.

The outer ends of the walls 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29 are attached together by rows of stitches 31 which also engage the outer ends of exible textile members 32, the inner ends of which are attached to A thin flexible and pliable connecting negarse the ends of the wall 30 by stitches 33 well within and concealed by the pockets into which the ends of the walls 30 extend.

A flexible strip 34 has one edge enclosed between the upper marginal portion of the wall 26 and a bordering strip 35 and attached thereto by stitches 36. The free marginal edge of the strip 3e has fastening nngers 37 secured thereto and adapted to engage fastening fingers 38 securely attached to a separate exible strip 39 attached to the upper edges of the walls 27 by stitchles 40. These fastening fingers are engaged and disengaged by a slide 4l in permanent connection therewith and movable to edect engagement and disengagement in a familiar manner. That portion of the strip 39 which extends across the space between the walls 27 is unattached, although it extends downwardly beyond the upper portion of the wall 36.

Thus, there is an elongated pocket 42 between the walls 25 and 26 and another elongated pocket d3 formed by cooperation of the wall 26 with the walls 27 and the sliding wall 30. The pocket L13 is designed and adapted to be closed and opened by operation of the slide el along the two series of fastening fingers, such operation being in the familiar mer.

This construction obtains its intended objects and purposes and permits the contents of the several lpeelrets to be varied as to volume or amount without at all interfering with the free folding and opening of the billfold.

The invention may be varied otherwise than as particularly indicated without departure from the nature and principle thereof. myself in unessential particulars, but what 1 claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a billfold having an elongated wall, two longitudinally spaced Walls having their outer ends and lower longitudinal edges connected to the outer ends and lower longitudinal edge of said elongated wall, and a wall element having sliding contact with said longitudinally spaced walls extending across the space between and cooperating with said longitudinally spaced walls and with said elongated wall to form an elongated pocket; a longitudinal series of fasteners attached to the upper edge of said elongated wall, and a longitudinal series of fasteners attached to the upper edges of said longitudinally spaced walls and extending across the space between them and being unattached to any part of the billfold between said longitudinally spaced walls and being engageable with and disengageable from said first series of fasteners.

2. In a billfold having an elongated wall, two longitudinally spaced walls having their outer ends and lower longitudinal edges connected to the outer ends and lower longitudinal edge of said elongated wall, and a wall element having sliding contact with said longitudinally spaced walls extending across the space between and cooperating with said longitudinally spaced walls and with said elongated Wall to form an elongated pocket; a flexible longitudinal series of fasteners attached to the upper edge of said elongated wall, and a flexible longitudinal series of cooperating fasteners attached to the upper edges of said longitudinally spaced walls and extending across the space between them and being unattached to any part of the billfold between said longitudinally spaced walls and being' engageable with and disengageable from said rst series of fasteners.

3. In a billfold having an elongated wall, two

1 do not restrict longitudinally spaced walls having their outer 5e ends and lower longitudinal edges connected to the outer ends and lower longitudinal edge of said elongated wall, and a wall element having sliding contact with said longitudinally spaced walls extending across the space between and cooperating with said longitudinally spaced walls and with said elongated wall to form an elongated pocket; an elongated flexible strip attached to the upper edge of said elongated wall and having a free edge supporting a longitudinal series of fasteners, and an elongated exible strip attached to the upper edges of and extending across the space between said longitudinally spaced walls and being unattached to any part of the billfold between said longitudinally spaced walls and having a continuous series of fasteners engageable with and disengageable from said first series of fasteners.

4. In a billfold having an elongated wall, two longitudinally spaced walls having their outer ends and lower longitudinal edges connected to the outer ends and lower longitudinal edge of said elongated wall, and a wall element having sliding contact with said longitudinally spaced walls extending across the space between and cooperating with said longitudinally spaced walls and with said elongated wall to form an elongated pocket; an elongated flexible strip attached to the upper edge of said elongated wall and having a free edge supporting a longitudinal series of fasteners, an elongated flexible strip attached io the upper edges of and extending across the space between said longitudinally spaced walls and being unattached to any part of the billfold between .said longitudinally spaced walls and having a continuous series of fasteners engageable with and disengageable from said rst series of fasteners, and a slide engaged with and slidable along said two series of fasteners for engaging and disengaging the same.

5. In a billfold having an elongated wall, and two longitudinally spaced walls having their outer ends and lower longitudinal edges connected to the outer ends and lower longitudinal edge of said elongated wall; a continuous longitudinal series of fasteners edge of said elongated wall, a continuous longitudinal series of fasteners attached to the upper edges of said longitudinally spaced walls and exattached to the upper and cooperating therewith and with said elongated wall to form a pocket.

6. In a billfold having two elongated walls connected at their ends and lower longitudinal edges, two longitudinally spaced walls having Atheir outer ends and lower longitudinal edges attached to the outer ends and lower longitudinal edges of said elongated walls, and a wall member having sliding contact with said spaced walls extending across the space between said longitudinally spaced walls and cooperating therewith and with one of said elongated walls to form a pocket; a longitudinal series of fasteners attached to the upper edge of said last named elongated wall, and a longitudinal series of fasteners attached to the upper edges of and extending across the space between said spaced walls and being unattached to said wall member and being engageable with and disengageable from said rst series of y fasteners. f

7. In a billfold having two elongated walls connected at their ends and lower longitudinal edges, two longitudinally spaced walls having their outer ends and lower longitudinal edges attached to the outer ends and lower longitudinal edges of said elongated Walls, and a wall member having sliding contact with said spaced walls extending across the space between said longitudinally spaced walls and cooperating therewith and with one of said elongated walls to form a pocket; a longitudinal series of fasteners attached to the upper edge of said last named elongated wall, and

a longitudinal series of fasteners attached to the upper edges of and extending across the space between said spaced walls and being unattached to said wall memberI and being engageable with and disengageable from said first series of fas` teners to open and to close said pocket, leaving the upper edges of said elongated walls unattached.

PRINCE A. GARDNER, JR. 

